What are cookies?
- Cookies are small files of information placed on your computer through your browser. All the cookies set by this site are essential to the functioning of the site
- Cookies enable the website to recognise your device (your computer or mobile phone) as you move from page to page, if the page ‘refreshes’ or if you leave then return to the site.
- Cookies are not programs and do not collect information from your device.
You can restrict or block cookies but this may limit your use of some functionality, such as getting access to password protected areas of our site. Most things you do on our site will still be possible even with cookies disabled.
How to manage your cookies
Cookies are sent to your browser (whether you use Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Safari or any other browser) by a website and then stored in the cookies directory of your device.
To find out how to allow, block, delete and manage the cookies on all standard web browsers, go to the Information Commissioner’s site. There is more in depth information on www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.
If you use a mobile device, please refer to your handset manual for guidance.
Cookies used on our website
We do not use any tracking cookies on this site.
You may come across the following cookies on this site:
Strictly necessary cookies
- If you have an account and you log in to this site, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
- When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.
- If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day
- We also use security cookies, to perform firewall checks or to notify when an administrator logs in from a new device or location and to check if the user can bypass country blocking (if this has been set up).
- If you choose to close the cookie banner by clicking “Hide this bar”, a cookie will be set to remember this preference.
External Cookies
Many sites we refer you to will immediately set session cookies. We cannot audit the use of cookies by these external sites so you should be aware of their use and prepared to manage them if you follow links to other sites from here.